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100 Books,
1 Winner

Join us as we celebrate the power of reading through the prism of America's 100 best-loved novels. Explore how writers create fictional worlds, and how we readers are affected by the stories. Over the course of the series, join in and vote to choose America's favorite novel.

At Mountain Lake PBS while we celebrate the Great American Read, we want to celebrate local literature as well. Have you read books by any local authors? We've compiled a list of books from and/or about the North Country and Adirondacks. It's certainly not complete and we surely missed some gems out there. If you have a favorite local book, submit it in our write-in campaign for the Great Adirondack Read!

Frequently Asked Questions

How were the top 100 books chosen?

PBS and the producers worked with the public opinion polling service “YouGov” to conduct a demographically and statistically representative survey asking Americans to name their most-loved novel. Approximately 7,200 people participated.

How did you narrow that list to the top 100?

The results were tallied and organized based on our selection criteria and overseen by an advisory panel of 13 literary industry professionals. The criteria for inclusion on the top 100 list were as follows:-Each author was limited to one title on the list (to keep the list varied).-Books published in series or featuring ongoing characters counted as one eligible entry on the list (e.g. the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings) to increase variety.-Books could be from anywhere in the world as long as they were published in English.-Only fiction could be included in the poll.-Each advisory panel member was permitted to select one book for discussion and possible inclusion on the top 100 list from the longer list of survey results.

What books are included on the list?

The list contains a broad range of fictional titles, authors, time periods, countries, genres and subject matter. The list includes books from as far back as the 1600s and as recent as 2016. From beloved world literature to contemporary best sellers, many categories are represented: 20th century American classics, thrillers, young adult novels, sci-fi/fantasy, adventure, historical fiction, romantic stories, and books that represent the human experience told from a diverse range of perspectives.

Why are there only fiction books included? Why aren't religious works included?

THE GREAT AMERICAN READ is searching for the country’s best-loved novel. While we recognize the broad categories of books available, we chose to narrow our focus to works of fiction because it would be impossible to cover them all over the course of an eight-part series.

How does the voting work?

Voting will open online and on social media with the launch of the two-hour premiere episode and continue throughout the summer, leading up to the finale in October 2018. Over the summer, viewers can vote online and through hashtag voting via Facebook and Twitter. In the fall, viewers will also be able to cast their votes by using SMS and toll-free voting.